The field of the invention is exercising devices, and the invention relates more particularly to devices for exercising paraplegics and other persons whose limbs cannot be exercised simply by voluntary extension or contraction.
For many serious spinal injuries, a paralysis of the limbs results and it becomes necessary for the comfort of the patient to have a therapist manually extend the limbs a number of times a day to prevent the joints from becoming stiffened and painful. In the past, this has typically been carried out by hand and thus greatly added to the cost of care if done by a professional therapist or was otherwise time consuming. Furthermore, the exercise time required for patient comfort often exceeded the strength of the volunteer.